Dairy Pilot Plant & Short Course Coordinator

Job Summary 

Full-time, benefited position under the direction of the Director of the Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC) at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The Dairy Pilot Plant and Short Course Coordinator divides effort approximately equally between (1) technical services, product development, and research support in the DPTC pilot plant and (2) development and delivery of short courses, workshops, technical webinars, outreach, and related educational programming. The position works independently on a broad range of technical and educational projects and maintains regular contact with students, researchers, dairy processors, industry partners, and other key constituencies. 

Appointment Term: This position is funded for one year. Reappointment is contingent on performance and the continued availability of funding resources. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to: 

Pilot Plant, Research, and Technical Services (approximately 50%) 

• Maintain needed inventories of supplies; and coordinate with vendors and manufacturers. 

• Provide technical assistance, prototyping, and pilot-plant manufacturing services to industry, researchers, and students. 

• Develop and prepare dairy-food product prototypes as requested and support quality control, processing, and product-development projects. 

• Coordinate pilot plant equipment usage by students and industry for product development and innovation. 

• Support research projects and train and mentor students and staff engaged in applications and research activities. 

• Collect, organize, summarize, and critically interpret data; communicate weekly goals and progress regarding pilot plant activities. 

• Assist in preparation of manuscripts, abstracts, project reports, and presentations for scientific meetings, as needed. 

• Network with industry, ingredient and equipment suppliers, service providers, professional organizations, and dairy groups; this may include travel to meetings and potential end users. 

Short Courses, Education, and Industry Relations (approximately 50%) 

• Assist the Director with implementation of education, technical outreach, and project activities. 

• Plan, coordinate, and implement educational events independently and with collaborating partners, including workshops, short courses, technical webinars, conferences, symposia, and special projects. 

• Conduct outreach to dairy processors in the Western Region to communicate technical-assistance and educational opportunities. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, or a related field. 

• At least one year of relevant experience in dairy or food processing, product development, technical services, research support, educational programming, or a related area. 

• Knowledge of the manufacture and properties of milk, dairy ingredients, dairy foods, and their applications in other food products. 

• Ability to operate pilot-scale unit operations and process systems for dairy and related food products, which may include batch kettles, agitators, pumps, homogenizers, freezers, heat-processing systems, evaporators, membrane systems, spray dryers, and related equipment. 

• Ability to calculate dosages, concentrations, proportions, percentages, and other operational figures. 

• Ability to work effectively with industrial groups in the pilot plant and provide technical assistance to a diverse range of partners. 

• Effective use of computer hardware and software for data collection, analysis, presentation of results, electronic communications and Microsoft Office Suite. 

• Demonstrated independent scientific and practical problem-solving ability, including the ability to control experimental variables and propose solutions. 

• Excellent organization, leadership, communication, and collaborative working skills; ability to work independently with minimal supervision. 

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately and maintain professional relationships with colleagues, administrators, faculty, staff, students, community members, and the agricultural industry. 

• Fluency in English. 

• A background check is required for all regular benefited positions. 

• The person holding this position is considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, or a related field. 

• Project-management experience. 

• Knowledge of the dairy sector in California.  

• Experience creating educational content and delivering technical information in multiple formats. 

• Ability to operate analytical equipment, which may include pH meters, spectrophotometers, fume hoods, analytical balances, drying ovens, rheometers, and related biochemical and physical testing equipment. 

• Effective analytical techniques for sampling and analysis of milk and related food products. 

• Flexibility to modify work schedule and priorities to complete assignments efficiently and support related group work. 

• Ability to prepare, review, revise, and deliver scientific and technical abstracts, manuscripts, posters, and presentations. 

• Ability to travel within the United States, up to 15%, to attend meetings, give presentations, establish contacts, and learn new information. 

Physical Requirements:

• Hearing and speaking to exchange information in person or on the telephone. 

• Dexterity of hands, fingers, and wrist to operate a computer keyboard, calculator, and pilot plant or analytical equipment. 

• Seeing to read a variety of materials and instrumentation. 

• Sitting or standing for extended periods of time. 

• Physical agility to lift 20 pounds to shoulder height. 

• Physical agility to lift, carry, push, or pull objects.